The Artist
by Concave Patterns
Summary: AU. She makes a ridiculous offer. He, for some equally ridiculous reason, accepts. But can a determined school teacher really change a cold, cynical artist's outlook on life? S/R with a little I/K.
1. Meetings & Hostile Greetings

Based on the song "The Artist" by The Hush Sound.

I've had this story saved on my laptop for quite a while now, and after being home sick most of last week I decided to finally edit and post it, so I hope you like :)

Disclaimer: I am not Rumiko Takahashi or a member of The Hush Sound. Dang.

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**Chapter 1: Meetings & Hostile Greetings**

_**I know that you're an artist,**_

_**you're the hardest one to deal with.**_

"Line up, everyone!" Rin Hidori called cheerfully to the group of young children that swarmed around her.

It was field trip day, which meant that her usually rowdy third-grade students were even more so as they boarded the waiting school bus. Luckily she had been able to elicit the help of her best friend and fellow teacher, Kagome Higurashi. Rin gave her friend an appreciative smile as the last of her students boarded the bus and Rin took her own seat up front.

"Remember," Rin addressed the children once they were all seated and relatively quiet, "when we get to the art gallery, stay with your partner. No wandering off, okay?"

"Yes Miss Rin." 15 happy faces beamed back at her before the bus jolted into gear and pulled away from the curb.

Rin took her seat but twisted so that she could keep an eye on her students as they travelled. Her fingers drummed a random beat against the cheap vinyl seat and thanks to the unusually humid weather, she could already feel her bare legs sticking where her plain black pencil skirt had ridden up her thighs.

"You know, you're almost as giddy as they are," Kagome teased once the kids began a terribly out of tune version of 'The Wheels on the Bus'. "You're practically bouncing in your seat".

Rin laughed and shrugged her shoulders in reply. "You know how much I love art. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see this new exhibit! I'm just lucky that Principal Asai approved it as part of the kids' art class."

"You know what I heard?" Kagome lowered her voice conspiratorially, "Apparently Sesshomaru Takeda is going to be there in person for some kind of ceremony when they unveil his exhibit."

If Rin wasn't bouncing in her seat before, she certainly was now.

"Are you serious? But he _never_makes public appearances! He's a total recluse; people hardly even know what he looks like!" Rin whispered back before realizing there was no need to be quiet, so she cleared her throat loudly.

"Just promise you won't turn into a complete fan girl once we get there," Kagome warned, "you still have students to look after."

Rin's chocolate brown eyes shone with humor, "Trust me, Kagome. That won't be a problem. If the rumours are true, then I don't want to get within ten feet of the guy."

"Rumours? Like what?" Rin's gossipy friend never could resist a juicy story.

"He's incredibly talented, but everything I've read about Sesshomaru Takeda suggests that he's a huge, um..." Rin lowered her voice to keep any younger ears from listening in, "_asshole_."

"Seriously?" Kagome's eyes widened, "So you thought it would be a good idea to bring a group of 8-year olds to meet this man?"

"I didn't know he was coming until you told me two minutes ago!" Panic began to creep into Rin's voice as she envisioned all the horrible scenarios involving her young, impressionable students and the rude artist.

"Relax," Kagome put a comforting hand on her friend's arm as the school bus slowed and stopped in front of their destination, "I was just joking, mostly..."

"Mostly?" Rin moaned but had no further opportunity to complain as her students began anxiously chattering and fidgeting in their seats. It was time to be the grown-up.

She scooted out of her seat and stood at the front of the bus, clapping her hands to draw her students' attention, "Does everyone remember our field trip rules?"

Eager heads bobbed 'yes' and spoke aloud with Rin. "One: stay with your buddy. Two: quiet mouths. Three: still hands."

She smiled lovingly at her small group before they filed off the bus.

She had to admit, it was hard to do her job in a place like the Ramiko Art Institute. Not because her students were misbehaving, but because she was simply in awe.

The beautiful, smooth stone architecture kept Rin gawking at nearly everything, and when the building itself wasn't catching her attention, the amazing art it housed certainly was.

A bubbly young tour guide had led Rin's class through the gallery before directing them to a large boardroom that was set up with craft supplies, allowing the kids to create their own works of art.

With Kagome and a group of gallery employees watching over her little artists, Rin was able to escape for a few moments and wander the building in peace. Though her feet seemed to have a mind of their own as she soon found herself standing in front of Sesshomaru Takeda's new exhibit.

She studied his work with an odd mixture of appreciation and disgust. There was no doubt that Takeda was one of the greatest artists of their time, and Rin had long ago fallen in love with his easy yet intricate style. Unfortunately, every interview or article she had ever read told her that her idol was a rude and heartless man who used his talents for all the wrong reasons.

"To think that such a jerk could create something so beautiful..." Rin muttered to herself as she gazed at a canvas of swirling red and gold brush strokes.

"Are you a fan then?" A cool, deep voice interrupted Rin's thoughts.

She turned and was startled to find a tall man standing closely behind her. In fact, he was dangerously close to invading her personal space. In any normal situation, Rin would have told him off but something about this man's face kept her captivated. His eyes were rich and golden - though expressionless - and his long, straight hair shone with an unnatural white-silver tone that somehow suited him perfectly.

"Are you a fan?" The man repeated when Rin did not immediately reply.

"Of the art, y-yes of course," she responded once she found her voice, "of the artist, not particularly." She added in a quiet voice, speaking more to herself than the stranger before her.

The shadow of a smirk passed across the man's face.

"Hn. Then you will be pleased to know that the artist does not particularly care for you, either."

What?

"What?" Rin's mouth hung open in shock, but she quickly recovered as smoothly as possible, "So you're Sesshomaru Takeda. And how can you say you don't like me? We just met!"

"That is irrelevant. Before this moment, you did not know me, and yet your distaste for me is apparent." Amused golden eyes bored into Rin, although his voice gave not a single hint of emotion.

He was calling her a hypocrite.

"That's different." Rin frowned, unwilling to let him win their argument, "I feel like I know you because I've read every book, article and review written about you."

"Have you, now?" He casually crossed his arms and looked down at her with curiosity.

Rin felt her face flush under his gaze, "I didn't mean it like that. I don't _like_ you or anything. I read all of that stuff out of love for the art and a little curiosity. I wondered what you were like and now that I know, I have to say I'm truly disappointed!"

Forgoing all her manners, she turned sharply on her heel and stormed away, only coming to a stop because of the hand that suddenly gripped her wrist firmly.

"Do not walk away from me, girl." His voice was a low growl.

"Struck a nerve, did I?" Rin smiled smugly.

The intensity in his eyes sent a small shiver of fear down her spine but Rin was far too stubborn to let him have the last word. A million warning bells were going off in her head but she held her ground, glaring up at the artist defiantly.

"Tell me your name." Sesshomaru demanded, ignoring her last comment.

"Why do you care? Now if you don't mind, I have to get back to my students." Rin struggled to free her arm from his grasp. Her efforts were in vain as she only succeeded in making him angrier.

"Tell. Me. Your. Nammmme." His grip tightened almost painfully as he spoke each word with a frightening seriousness.

He was standing so close. Too close in Rin's opinion, and she only noticed it now as she felt the ends of his long hair tickling her bare arms. He towered over her small frame easily and Rin suddenly, inexplicably, felt butterflies in her tummy.

"You're too tall..." she whispered almost breathlessly.

"And you are testing what little patience I have." A warning growl came from deep within his throat.

"Rin. Hidori Rin." She finally stated.

"Rinnn..." He repeated her name, drawing it out in a way that made her shiver.

Suddenly her wrist was free and there was a more comfortable distance between her and the artist.

Rin looked down at her hand to find a small white business card lying in her palm.

"Should you wish to gain a better knowledge of me before making assumptions." He explained bluntly, "Now return to your students, Rin."

With hands in the pockets of his black dress pants, Sesshomaru gracefully exited the room, leaving the young school teacher staring down at her hand with utter confusion.

"You have got to be kidding me." Kagome gaped at her best friend who sat opposite her in a booth at their favourite Mexican restaurant.

It was during their usual Friday night ritual that Rin explained her strange encounter with the artist.

"Was that his weird way of asking you out?" Kagome pondered, reaching for another tortilla chip from their plate of appetizers.

"I don't know!" Rin groaned, "What should I do? Should I call him? No, no, I am _not_ calling that jerk...but should I?"

"It sounds like there was definitely chemistry between you two." Kagome commented, "I don't know, Rin. He sounds like a real asshole. A real _sexy_ asshole." She amended.

"I appreciate it, but you're not helping, Kagome." Rin took a large glup of her fruity drink, hoping that the tiny percentage of alcohol content would somehow make everything better.

Yeah, right.

"Hey girls, sorry I'm late." A pretty, athletic-looking brunette appeared at their table and slid into the empty seat beside Rin.

"Sango! How was work? Did that Miroku guy ask you out yet?" Kagome asked, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

At 26, Sango was the oldest of their small group of friends. She had recently started working for a real estate company and was constantly lamenting over a certain perverted co-worker who just wouldn't take no for an answer.

Sango moaned and let her head drop down onto the table with a 'thunk'. "If he doesn't get his act together, he's going to wind up with a permanent hand imprint on his cheek. I've hit that man so many times and he still won't keep his hands to himself!"

Rin patted her friend's back, "Don't worry about it. You know what fixes guy problems? Guacamole!" She took a generous scoop of the green dip on a tortilla chip and shoved the whole thing in her mouth, chewing in a very unlady-like manner.

Sango looked at her strangely before addressing Kagome, "What's gotten into her?"

"Oh, about three drinks and a guy named Sesshomaru Takeda." Kagome replied with a grin.

"Takeda? Isn't he that artist you absolutely love?" Sango questioned Rin.

"It's not quite that simple anymore." Rin sighed and proceeded to re-tell her story as more food and drinks arrived at their table.

By the end of the night, she had knocked back more alcohol than she cared to admit. Rin paid her cab driver and shuffled into her apartment, occasionally bumping against the wall. She slipped out of her skirt and blouse and flopped onto the bed, wearing only her underwear.

"He thinks he's so much better than me," she mumbled, her mind still stuck on her encounter with the artist, "that stupid, hot, arrogant jerk. I'm so much better than him. I would never stoop to his level, I'm too smart and mature."

She yawned and flung an arm out, fumbling for her cell phone that sat on the bedside table. "Ya know," she spoke to herself excitedly as an idea formed in her head, "I'm gonna call him and tell him exactly that."

She dragged herself off the mattress and retrieved the business card she had tucked in her purse earlier that day. Returning to burrow under the soft sheets of her bed, Rin carefully dialled the number with all the skill a tipsy 24-year old could possess.

The phone rang twice before a soft 'click' indicated that someone picked up and was on the line.

"Sess..omeru? Sesshy?" She finally settled on calling him after her mouth refused to properly pronounce his full name, "I have some stuff to say to you...".


	2. Headaches & Big Mistakes

Thanks for all your great responses to Chapter 1! Now, on with the story...

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**Chapter 2: Headaches & Big Mistakes**

_**Everything that you conceal**_

_**is revealed on your canvas**_

Rin woke the next morning with wild bed-head and a splitting headache.

_Never again_, she vowed, rolling over to bury her head beneath the pillows in an attempt to ward off the sunshine that streamed through her window. _From today on, I solve my problems with ice cream instead_.

Four sharp, quick knocks on the door made Rin groan and sink deeper into her soft, warm bed.

"Unless the world is coming to an end, I do _not_ want to be disturbed!" She yelled before immediately wincing at the pain in her head.

She heard the knob twist and the door to her apartment opened with its usual squeaky hinges. Great, she obviously forgot to turn the locks. Lucky she wasn't robbed or murdered during the night...speaking of which, what exactly happened last night?

Rin could vaguely recall saying goodbye to her friends in the restaurant parking lot and then threatening to sue the cab company when her taxi driver refused to sing along to the radio with her. After that, her memory was blank.

Heavy footsteps made their way towards her bedroom and Rin whimpered, pulling the sheets over her head. She could sense that someone was in her room now.

"Rin?" A smooth, low voice came from directly above her, causing her to flinch. "I can very obviously see you. Blankets do not make you invisible."

It was that voice. That silky voice laced with amusement that irritated Rin to no end.

Giving up, her head finally popped out from under the covers, "Go away," she moaned pathetically, "why are you even here?"

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow as he studied her, "I presume you have no recollection of our agreement, then?"

"Agreement? What...?" Rin's eyes darted from his perfectly cold face to her nearby cell phone and then back again.

Sweet Kami, she had drunk dialled.

"W-what exactly did we agree on?" She asked unsurely, cringing because she really had no idea what to expect.

"You made an offer last night that I simply couldn't refuse. I believe it was well into the second hour of your drunken ramblings, before you started singing show tunes but only after you demanded I order you a pizza." His lips twitched up to form a small, fleeting smile.

He was loving every minute of this.

"I'm already embarrassed, okay? Now could you please just tell me?" Rin pleaded, hiding her face in the blankets once again.

"Stop sulking, it only makes you more pathetic." Sesshomaru commanded, taking hold of the edge of her bed sheets and ripping them back.

When the cool morning air hit her mostly bare body Rin shrieked in surprise, realizing she wore nothing more than her plain grey bra and panties.

Evidently, Sesshomaru was not expecting that surprise either. His eyes widened marginally before they very shamelessly began inspecting her body.

Rin scrambled off the bed and grabbed her robe from the closet, tying it securely at the waist. "Either tell me or leave. I'm getting tired of this." She said, averting her eyes with the hope that her furious blush would go unnoticed. Why oh why did he have to see her in her most unflattering granny panties? Why couldn't she have worn her nice purple push-up bra?

"Very well," His eyes still held such intensity that it appeared he was gazing through the fabric of her robe, seriously unnerving Rin, "Last night you determined that I need to 'lighten up' and that you are the perfect person to show me how. You made me promise, multiple times I might add, that I would come to your apartment at noon today and you would have an afternoon planned for us."

"I said that?" Rin asked, hoping it was a joke even though it was painfully obvious that Sesshomaru never joked.

"You did. Although you gave me your credit card number instead of address, I was able to find you in the phone book. You were exceedingly drunk." He stated blandly.

"Gee, was I really?" She replied with heavy sarcasm.

He chose to ignore her, "I gave you my word that I would be here and so here I am. Though I have to say, you are off to a terrible start on your end of the deal."

"Because I don't remember making a deal! I don't remember _anything_ about last night!" Rin whined, "It was all a blur." Defeated, she sat on the edge of the bed and hung her head.

"Would you like to know what I agreed to do for you, in return?" Sesshomaru's voice was quiet, a stark contrast to Rin's outburst.

She nodded.

"Art." He said simply.

"Wha..?" Rin was caught slightly off guard by his response.

"Your favourite piece of my work is yours. Or if you'd prefer an original, I will paint you something brand new and one-of-a-kind." Sesshomaru stated.

"Really? You agreed to do that for me?" Rin was shocked and flattered. She had always dreamed of owning a Sesshomaru Takeda painting, but it just wasn't in her modest teacher's salary. "Why? I mean, why didn't you just hang up on me in the first place? Why go through all this trouble?"

"So you wish to end our agreement?" His eyebrow raised in question.

She quickly shook her head no. There was no way she was backing out and losing her painting, and maybe a tiny little piece of her wanted an excuse to see Sesshomaru again. She chose to ignore that part though, since it was obviously crazy.

"I'll do it, I'm just curious." Rin clarified.

"I have my reasons." Sesshomaru replied vaguely. His eyes continued to study her from where he had moved to lean casually against the door frame.

In his navy blue sweater with sleeves pushed up to reveal his forearms, Sesshomaru looked like he came straight out of the pages of GQ while Rin was left feeling like a hung-over mess. Life was so unfair.

"Um, okay. So I planned an activity for us. Did I happen to mention what it was?" Suddenly self-conscious, Rin ran a hand through her messy hair in an attempt to tame it.

"I don't know," Sesshomaru replied in his low, even voice, "at that point in the conversation, you hung up to go...relieve your nausea." He finished cryptically and Rin figured the word 'puke' just wasn't in his vocabulary.

"Oh, yikes." She winced.

"I assure you, it was quite charming."

A small, lopsided grin slowly spread across her face, "Wait, did you just made a joke? That was sarcasm, wasn't it?"

"Make yourself presentable, I'll be waiting in the hall. Don't be long." Sesshomaru disappeared from the doorway, once again ignoring her comments.

"You're loosening up already!" Rin shouted as she jumped off the bed and rushed to her closet, "And you thought I was off to a bad start, ha!"

She chose the zoo.

Rin adjusted her sunglasses and took another sip from the take-out coffee cup in her hand. Considering she had no time to put together an event for that afternoon, she was pretty pleased with her result. And she did it with a lingering hangover, to boot.

She had dragged a reluctant Sesshomaru through the whole park, easily making small talk to offset his silence. Rin _aww_-ed over the lion cubs and sheepishly admitted to having a bird phobia after she had clutched his arm with a death grip for the entirety of their walk through the aviary.

"Enjoying yourself?" She addressed the quiet man beside her with a dazzling smile.

"You're quite peculiar," he responded.

'Yeah? Well _you_ never answer my questions." She pouted. _Peculiar_, was that a good thing? Something told her it was not.

"I am...not having the worst day of my life." Sesshomaru finally admitted.

"Really? Wow. Thank you." She genuinely meant it. "So tell me, why did you become an artist? I've read all of your interviews and you never mention your past."

"Let me ask you, Rinnn..." the growl that accompanied her name served as a warning that she was treading on thin ice, "why are you a teacher?"

"I have a theory," for once she was the one to avoid his question, "want to hear it?"

Sesshomaru didn't respond, so she went ahead, "I think that you avoid and deny your emotions, and a person can't live like that without having a meltdown or, I don't know, spontaneously combusting or something.

So, you bottle it up and only release it when it's just you and your canvas. That way no one will believe you're weak." She looked up at his face, trying to tell if her guess was right, "Emotions aren't a weakness though." She added in a soft voice.

"Hn. And you, Rin. The bubbly, young school teacher who was likely abandoned or orphaned at a young age. You then grew up alone, believing that you would never have a family of your own and so you fill the void in your heart with your students. Am I correct?" Amber eyes locked on Rin's face as he waited for a response.

Rin's breath hitched and she quickly averted her gaze. Part of her was simply stunned that Sesshomaru had spoken for that long, while another part was ashamed at his accuracy.

"Jerk," She muttered childishly. She turned away suddenly but Sesshomaru was quicker.

He blocked her path and caused Rin to walk straight into his chest. She didn't bother moving, it would only make her tears more obvious and besides, she was beginning to enjoy being so close to him. His shirt was soft and smelled amazing as she unconsciously leaned her head into it.

His hands carefully rested on her shoulders, keeping her in place. He felt very stiff, but Rin was well aware of the fact that he could have pushed her away by now. This was progress, right? Here he was making an effort and she couldn't even accept the blunt truth of his words.

"I guess I overreacted," she mumbled into his chest.

"I was not exactly... tactful." Sesshomaru's head bent forward, enveloping Rin in a curtain of silver hair. "I expect it would be difficult for a young girl to go through life without a mother and father."

"Thanks," she said softly, assuming that was his way of apologizing. When she was sure that her eyes had lost their puffiness, Rin reluctantly stepped back.

"I got coffee on your shirt," She said, regretfully fingering a light brown stain on his otherwise spotless sweater.

"I'll send you the bill," he replied as monotone as ever.

"Was that another joke?" Rin smiled weakly as her usual cheerful attitude was beginning to return.

"Check your mail next week. Until then, you will just have to guess."

A happy little laugh escaped Rin's lips, "Look at you, teasing me. So how does it feel to actually relax and enjoy yourself?"

Sesshomaru grunted in response, but Rin was slowly learning to read the subtle signs of his face. Currently, his lips were not set in their usual thin line and his eyes looked calm so she took that to be a good sign.

"Do you have plans tomorrow?" Rin found herself asking without having really planned the question.

"I have business to attend to." He replied stoically.

Rin made a face of disgust, "Business on a Sunday? 'Cause I was thinking we could go out for brunch. Do you like crepes? I loooove crepes, and there's this nice little place-"

"Did you not hear me?" She was cut off by his harsh response.

A bit bewildered at his sudden change in attitude, Rin stuttered out, "Y-yes, I just thought..." she trailed off helplessly.

"You thought wrong." He was quick to growl.

They had arrived at the exit gates by this time, about to go their separate ways. Rin scrambled for something to say that would keep Sesshomaru from walking away and never coming back. She was just trying to hold up her end of the deal, after all.

"I hope you realize we're not done yet," she warned him, "I'm going to make you crack, Sesshomaru." She took great pleasure in seeing his jaw tick when she spoke his name, "I'll be in touch."

Rin gave a cute little wave and walked off with a light bounce in her step. She was determined to break through that icy exterior, no matter what. She definitely had experience when it came to stubborn children, and really, grown men weren't all that different.

Then and there, Rin decided to put her teacher skills to good use on a certain moody artist.


	3. Dismay & Elevator Foreplay

20 reviews in 2 chapters and a load of story alerts and favorites...you rock, readers! :D

This chapter is dedicated to the people of Japan, who are dealing with the after-effects of an earthquake, tsunami, and now a nuclear power explosion. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.

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**Chapter 3: Dismay & Elevator Foreplay**

_**You find all of your ugly meanings**_

_**in the things I find beautiful**_

"Come for dinner tomorrow," Kagome begged her friend over the phone, "I want you to meet someone."

It was late Saturday night, precisely a week since Rin had last seen Sesshomaru. He had not returned her phone calls and she was beginning to lose hope in her plan. How was she supposed to keep up her end of their agreement if he kept avoiding her?

"Is it a guy?" Rin faked excitement for her friend's sake as she continued to channel-surf while sitting on the couch. There was never anything good on Saturday nights, meaning she had nothing to draw her away from her depressing Sesshomaru situation.

"A guy? Why do you automatically think it's a guy?"

Rin could tell Kagome was trying to be nonchalant about it, but she failed miserably.

"Aw, that's great Kagome! What's his name? Is he cute?" Rin grinned, wriggling in comfortably on the couch and preparing herself for the onslaught of information. Her friend was a naturally chatty person, but bring a boy into the picture and Kagome could seriously talk your ear off.

"He's really cute!" She gushed, "His name is Inuyasha and he's our age and he's a bit short-tempered, but right away I knew there was something about him that I really liked and now that we've been on a few dates – I'm so sorry I never mentioned him earlier, Rin, but I didn't know how things would turn out at first – I've seen his sweet, protective side now and I think I'm in love!"

"Wow," Rin laughed lightly, "He's that great, huh? Well, I'm really happy for you."

"Thanks, Rin. So will you come? Dinner is at six tomorrow night. Oh! You should bring your artist!"

Rin could practically see her friend bouncing around her apartment in excitement. Ever since Kagome found out about Rin's arrangement with Sesshomaru, she had been determined to play match-maker for the pair. 'Just think about how your passionate hatred for him could translate into passionate love. So intense, like a romance novel!' She had gushed to Rin.

"_My_ artist?" She asked, surprised with the idea. "I have a feeling he'd be a bit of a party-pooper."

Kagome replied, "Of course he's a party-pooper. It's your job to make him lose the attitude, right?"

"That's true," Rin laughed, "Okay. I'll be there and I'll find a way to convince Sesshomaru too." She bit her lip, knowing that would be a difficult promise to keep.

They said their goodbyes and Rin watched a bit more mindless TV before readying herself for bed. As she crawled under the covers, she sleepily went over a mental list of what needed to be done in the morning: 1) track down Sesshomaru Takeda, 2) manage to actually speak to him, and 3) get the silent, unsociable man to agree to dinner with her and two complete strangers.

Easy enough, right?

Nuzzling her face into the pillow, Rin sighed. Come morning, she was going to need a lot of coffee and good luck.

- A -

At precisely 10 o'clock on a sunny and clear Sunday morning, Rin found herself standing in the lobby of the largest, most expensive apartment building she had ever seen.

With Sesshomaru still not answering her calls, she had decided to take a firmer course of action. Meaning, she would drag him kicking and screaming to dinner if she had to...not that Sesshomaru seemed like the type to kick and scream. She would probably just get a glare and a growl from him.

She was about to press the buzzer labelled 'S. Takeda' when a well-dressed woman with a cell phone pressed to her ear opened the door and brushed past Rin. At least ten shining silver bracelets clinked on each wrist and the overwhelming scent of flowery perfume had Rin almost gagging. Holding her breath to ward off a perfume headache, Rin wasted no time slipping through the open door before it locked shut. She knew Sesshomaru wouldn't have let her in anyway.

Gaping like an idiot, she simply stood in the main entrance for a moment, admiring her surroundings. The floors were shiny granite while expensive chandeliers lit her way and the soothing sound of water could be heard from a beautiful floor-to-ceiling rock wall, where water cascaded down to land in a small pond decorated with shrubbery. A quick flash of muted orange caught her attention. Were there koi in there?

Knowing that such a ritzy place would have heavy security, Rin thought it best to not linger. She would ask Sesshomaru about the fish later.

She reluctantly made her way over to the elevator, jumping in surprise when the door opened to reveal an attendant fully dressed in a white jacket and black tie. With thin lips and slightly bulging eyes, he reminded Rin of a frog.

The short, bald man eyed her with suspicion, "Which floor, girl?"

"Um...I'm here to see Sesshomaru Takeda." Rin squeaked, quickly stepping inside before the doors shut.

"He doesn't like visitors," the man warned, "is he expecting you?"

"Well, not exactly but we have an agreement." Rin said lamely.

"Are you his girlfriend or something?"

She longed to deny it. She wanted to proclaim '_ME_ and _HIM_? No way!' But the opportunity was too good. This was her only way in.

"Yes, I am." Rin plastered on a fake sincere smile.

The little man made a 'hmph' noise and reluctantly pressed a button, taking them to the top floor. Figured that Sesshomaru would live in the penthouse.

After the short and very awkward ride, the door slid open with a _ding_. Rin quickly stepped off the elevator and smiled one last time at the attendant, who scowled back at her with distaste.

She walked down a long and silent hallway where the walls were lined with what she assumed to be Sesshomaru's paintings. Rin recognized a few of his well-known pieces and could feel herself practically drooling. The whole place screamed 'money', making her feel utterly ordinary and out of place in her weekend jeans and scuffed sneakers.

She eventually came to the end of the hall where she was met with a large set of dark wooden doors. Rin nervously licked her lips and ran fingers through her hair. Why did her stomach suddenly feel so funny?

"Okay, no big deal. Just knock." She gave her arms a quick shake and shifted from foot to foot, warming up like an athlete preparing for competition. Finally, Rin raised a hand and gave the wood in front of her three steady knocks. Then, she waited...and waited.

She knocked again.

Tapped her foot.

Checked her watch.

"Sesshomaru, I know you're in there!" She really hoped he was in there.

When her call went unanswered, Rin sighed, leaning against the doors in a moment of dejected thought.

"Ack!"

Evidently, Sesshomaru didn't believe in locking his doors. The weight of her shoulder had pushed the door open and Rin went tumbling to the floor. Luckily, plush carpet broke her fall.

_Oh, wow..._ Rin got to her feet and studied the room around her in awe. She had expected Sesshomaru to be the type who lived in a sparse, colorless home that matched his personality. Instead, she saw deep olive green walls, a beautiful fireplace and cushy black leather furniture that gave her the urge to snuggle in and take a nap.

Curious, she slowly wandered through the spacious apartment. A low, thumping noise caught her attention as Rin made her way towards a closed door that was hidden off in a corner.

_Bass_, she recognized the sound now, _so Sesshomaru is home...and he likes his music loud_.

She didn't bother knocking, knowing he would never hear her. So instead, Rin twisted the knob and timidly stepped into the room.

Sure enough, Sesshomaru stood in the centre of the room facing a partially painted canvas, his back towards Rin. She was mesmerized for a few minutes, simply staring at the way he worked. On second thought, it was the way he _looked_.

Long, loose hair gently swayed with each movement he made. Through his snug grey t-shirt, she could see the muscles of his arms flex and relax with each steady stroke of his brush. It was pure magic. He was sex with a paintbrush, and she couldn't think straight.

Suddenly, he reached for the radio and twisted the volume knob sharply, bringing the room to a deathly quiet.

"Rin."

He had yet to turn and look at her.

"Mmhmm?" She didn't trust her voice just yet.

"How did you get in here?" He resumed painting, as if her appearance was of no importance to him.

"How did you know?" She finally managed to choke out.

"It is my home. I always make a point of knowing who is in my home. How did you get in?" He asked again, casually, but Rin could detect a darker seriousness in his tone.

"The toad man," She replied without thinking, "Oh! I mean, um..."

"I know whom you speak of." Sesshomaru cut her off and set his brush down, finally coming to stand in front of her. There was a slight flash of humour in his eyes at her slip-up. "He allowed you up here?"

"Well, you see, I kind of..." Rin wrung her hands nervously before blurting out, "told-him-I-was-your-girlfriend."

His eyebrow raised a fraction, "Hm. And why would you do that?"

"Because you've been avoiding me all week!" Her voice was starting to rise with irritation and she fought to stay calm. S_tick to the plan, don't let him get to you,_ Rin reminded herself. Sesshomaru obviously knew that his cold, detached attitude ticked her off, so Rin was determined to keep her cool and prove that she was the one in control. _Two can play the emotionless game, Sesshomaru..._

"That's hardly a reason for you to lie about being my significant other." Sesshomaru responded, slipping past Rin and blocking her view of his unfinished canvas when he noticed her eyes wandering.

"Can I see?" She asked suddenly when he reached for an old sheet to cover the painting.

She heard him sigh and the muscles in her stomach suddenly went tight with unease. Sure, she hadn't known him long, but anyone could tell that Sesshomaru was not the type to get outwardly upset.

"Fine," he let the sheet drop to the floor and Rin came to stand at his side, studying the half-finished scene, "I don't like it." He said pointedly.

"It isn't your usual style," she conceded, "but it's beautiful." Rin looked up at him with sincerity in her eyes.

Though unfinished, the painting clearly depicted a young boy sitting in the centre of a room while blurred figures stood around him. His head was lowered, hiding his face while hands were clasped in his lap. Sunlight beamed through the large windows at his back, giving the whole canvas a bright, washed-out effect.

There was a hint of sadness to the scene that made Rin's throat constrict with emotion because she knew that Sesshomaru was painting his childhood. Why had he been so unhappy and isolated?

"You grew up too soon." She whispered.

Sesshomaru's head inclined in a slight nod to let Rin know she understood the meaning behind the art.

"I don't like it," he said again, "but...it needed to be painted." He looked at her, amber eyes holding an expression that seemed to say 'please understand because I don't know how else to explain it'.

She did not reply but reached out for him, tentatively taking his hand in her own much smaller one.

Sesshomaru gave no sign that he was pleased or upset with her actions, so they simply stood there in a deep silence.

Rin's mind was whirring, piecing together the puzzle of his past. She finally had an understanding of why Sesshomaru was the way that he was. Something early in his life had changed him; forced him to become an adult at a time when his only concern should have been Saturday morning cartoons.

"You should consider yourself lucky," she finally said with a bit of a waver in her voice, "they might have been in the background, but at least you had a family that was there for you." Rin gestured to the blurry silhouettes in the painting. _I would give anything to have had that, _she added silently.

"Luck? If anything it was misfortune." Sesshomaru pulled his hand away and proceeded to cover the canvas. "We obviously do not see eye to eye on the subject of family, so this conversation is over."

He brushed past her and left the room. Rin stood there for a few minutes longer, a delicate frown on her lips. Sesshomaru was certainly becoming more open with her – allowing her to see the unfinished picture was a huge step forward in her opinion – but Rin felt so unprepared for all of this. She came over with the simple intention of inviting him to dinner and the mood had just grown ten times heavier.

She gave a big heaving sigh and shook her head a little, clearing the emo out before trailing after Sesshomaru. She found him in the kitchen and moved to relax against the island, leaning her elbows on the countertop as he pulled a bottle of water from the refrigerator. He set it in front of her before reaching for one of his own.

The simple gesture returned the funny feeling to the pit of Rin's stomach but she pushed aside her worry and confusion over it. She had something more important to think about right now.

"Sesshomaru?" She said his name suddenly while keeping her eyes fixed on the bottle before her.

When he did not reply, she glanced up quickly just to be sure he heard her. He gave a slight nod so she continued.

"Keeping with our agreement, I think you should come to dinner at my friend's house tonight." Rin slowly raised her head to meet his gaze. She bit her lower lip and widened her eyes innocently, giving him her best doe-eyed look. It was a move she had practiced many timed in the mirror because, really, a good set of Bambi eyes could get a girl almost anything.

His smooth face slowly turned to a scowl, but Rin could tell it was only half-hearted. He looked more like a pouty toddler and the thought made her giggle.

"So that's a yes? Great! We eat at six, so I can pick you up around five I guess." She played with the cap on her water bottle.

"I drive." Sesshomaru countered, but otherwise accepted her offer. He leaned towards her and plucked the cap from her hands, "Stop fidgeting," he ordered.

"Why, does it bother you?" Rin teased, quickly reaching to steal it back.

Sesshomaru anticipated her move and raised his arm to hold the bottle cap out of her reach.

"You're not going to make me jump for it, are you?" With hands on her hips, she looked up at his tall frame with a grin tugging at her lips.

Yeah she was flirting, so what?

"No, I am merely trying to get you out of my kitchen."

"Alright, alright." Rin sighed and grabbed her purse from where it had been forgotten after her tumble onto the floor. She was surprised to find Sesshomaru following her towards the door.

"I'll walk you out." He said curtly when she gave him a questioning look.

"Water _and_ a walk to the door, you really know how to impress a lady." Rin said teasingly as she pushed the door open and began the walk toward the elevator.

"I spare no expense." Sesshomaru said dryly. When they had reached their destination, he leaned in to press the call button for her, giving Rin a very nice whiff of whatever it was that made him smell so darn good. Expensive man perfume, or maybe just laundry detergent?

They stood in companionable silence until the door dinged open and the same unpleasant attendant greeted Rin with a frown. Upon seeing Sesshomaru though, his whole manner changed.

"Oh, wonderful to see you, Sesshomaru-sama!" He bowed deeply and Rin tried to hide her giggle over how absurdly formal he was being.

Sesshomaru's response was nothing more than a blink. He put a hand on the small of Rin's back, gently forcing her forward and into the elevator.

A rash (and slightly evil, if you had any concern for Sesshomaru) thought suddenly popped into her head. She had to do it. His reaction would be priceless. Besides, the toad man already thought they were a couple.

As naturally as possible, Rin turned and stepped into Sesshomaru's arms. Gripping a handful of his shirt in her fist, she forced him to bend until his face was at her level.

"Bye, Sesshy-sama. See you tonight." She hadn't planned on the nickname, it just kind of popped out. Ignoring the growing blush of her cheeks, Rin closed the distance between them and kissed him with a surprising amount of pent-up passion she never realized she had.


	4. Pining & Awkward Dining

Sorry for the delay, I tried for days but just couldn't get this new chapter added for some reason. This chapter is my favourite, aside from the ending (Chapter 8, I'm nearly finished writing it!) so I hope you all like it as well :)

* * *

**Chapter 4: Pining & Awkward Dining**

_**Do you see the fall is coming?**_

_**Come, I'm falling into you.**_

She was utterly and completely shocked.

He was returning her kiss - quite enthusiastically, too.

It was as if a million different emotions were fighting for control inside of Rin's body. Pleasure – he really was an _amazing_ kisser. Worry – had she just accidently bitten his lip? Dread – what would happen when their kiss inevitably ended?

Pushing all those thoughts aside, she allowed her eyes to shut and her instincts took over; heartbeat pounding loudly in her ears.

Rin's arms found their way around his neck, catching a few strands of his silky hair in her fingers. When she opened her mouth, intending to get some much-needed air, Sesshomaru was quick to take the opportunity to deepen their kiss and a quiet, gaspy moan escaped Rin's lips. She could feel his reply; a low rumbling sound that came from deep within his chest.

A loud, awkward cough finally broke through Rin's hazy mind and she remembered that there was an audience of one watching.

"Are you ready yet?" The cranky attendant was watching the wall rather than the make-out session taking place before him.

Embarrassed, Rin reluctantly pulled back enough to whisper in Sesshomaru's ear, "What are you doing?"

"I believe I should be the one asking that question. You initiated this." Sesshomaru's voice was low and laced with some emotion that had shivers of delight running down her spine.

"Yes, but you were supposed to get all flustered and embarrassed, not me!" She whispered back.

A puff of warm breath softly hit her face as he made a short, quiet 'heh' noise. If Rin didn't know any better, she would have called it a laugh. "I thought you knew me by now, Rin. This Sesshomaru does not get _flustered _or _embarrassed_." He pronounced each word slowly, exaggerating his point.

"So you were playing me? Ahh.." Rin groaned and lowered her face in humiliation, leaving her forehead to rest against his.

He gently extracted her from his arms after stating in a quiet, deep voice, "Although your discomfort is entertaining, that was not my intention."

He stepped away just as the elevator closed, leaving Rin gaping at the shiny metal doors and wondering exactly what the artist had meant.

She was still mulling over his last comment when Sesshomaru's shiny black Porsche pulled up to her curb that evening. The only explanation she could come up with was that Sesshomaru had very cryptically revealed that he had feelings for her. Though as soon as she came to that conclusion, Rin shook her head and cursed herself for being such an idiot. There was no way a guy like him would feel anything other than annoyance towards a girl like her.

These thoughts made the ride to Kagome's very awkward for Rin; she found herself blushing every time her eyes caught his and when their fingers accidentally touched as they both reached for the radio controls, Rin was quick to withdraw her hand as if it were on fire.

Either Sesshomaru did not notice her sudden shyness or he chose to ignore it. He was his usual quiet self, only once breaking the silence to ask the simple question of "turn left here?"

Once outside of Kagome's door, Rin felt a nervous flutter in her stomach. What would Kagome think of her artist? Wait – when had he become _her_ artist anyway? Her sudden nervousness only served to unnerve Rin even more - wasn't she always the cheery, bubbly one? Maybe Sesshomaru was rubbing off on her more than she cared to admit.

Rin bit her lip with worry. That wasn't right; she was supposed to be lightening his personality, not stifling her own.

She sighed and forced a smile to her face before knocking. The door opened swiftly a few moments later and Rin found herself drawn into a suffocating hug by her best friend.

"Rin! I'm so glad you made it! And this must be..." Kagome released the other girl and her voice suddenly trailed off as her eyes met Sesshomaru's.

"Sesshomaru," he stated flatly, making no move to even shake her hand. When Kagome continued to stare, his voice darkened with annoyance, "Is my face really that interesting?"

Kagome quickly averted her gaze, cheeks tinged with pink, "Sorry, it's just that you remind me of someone."

"Hey, Kagome! Who's at the door?" A rough voice yelled from within the apartment.

"Speak of the devil," Kagome muttered under her breath. Standing aside, she motioned for Rin and Sesshomaru to come in.

They entered and followed Kagome through the narrow hallway. In the living room, Rin found herself face-to-face with a man about her age. He was wearing a red shirt and a scowl on his boyish, handsome face. What startled her most though, was the long silver hair and eyes that burned a bright liquid gold.

_Just like Sesshomaru_... her inner voice offered. Rin gazed up at the artist who stood rigidly at her side, as if he would answer her unspoken question.

Kagome cleared her throat, obviously sensing the tension that suddenly filled the room, "Rin, Sesshomaru, this is-"

"Inuyasha." Sesshomaru cut in, "I assumed you'd be in prison by now."

"Feh, same to you." Came Inuyasha's nasty response.

"Wait, so you two are...?" Kagome trailed off with widening eyes.

"Brothers." Inuyasha provided at the same moment Sesshomaru stated "half-brothers".

"Ookay, this isn't awkward at all." Rin joked. Her attempt to lighten the mood failed horribly as the half-siblings continued their stare-down.

"Don't tell me _you're_ actually going out with _her_," Inuyasha said incredulously, nodding his head in Rin's direction.

Sesshomaru didn't speak for a full minute. The time ticked by painfully slow for Rin and she could feel her face turning redder and redder with each passing second.

"More or less." When he finally replied, his tone was indifferent but Sesshomaru's eyes glared daggers at Inuyasha.

More or less? Well, it was better than a flat-out 'no' Rin supposed. She had to work hard to conceal the grin that tugged at her lips when she realized that Sesshomaru – her stoic, detached Sesshomaru – just admitted aloud to having _feelings_. For her, no less! She could already see herself picking out a painting of his after doing such an epic job on her side of their agreement.

Rin felt a surge of pride not unlike that she felt when, after weeks and weeks of work with one of her problem students, they finally succeeded in writing their name for the first time, or tying their shoes with no help at all. She desperately wanted to take Sesshomaru's hand, but settled for simply looking up at him with a mixture of surprise and adoration. Sesshomaru was still intently focused on his half-brother and Rin knew the physical contact would only embarrass him.

Inuyasha was the first to end the staring contest, breaking eye contact with Sesshomaru so he could turn his attention to his girlfriend, "Kagome, can we eat yet? I'm starving."

"Naturally, your appetite is your first priority." Sesshomaru spoke with distaste.

"Shut up or I'll break your arm again," Inuyasha threatened, cracking the knuckles of one hand.

"You caught me off guard; it was a one in a million chance. You'll never be so lucky again."

"Wanna bet?"

"Dinner!" Kagome interrupted with forced cheeriness, "Time for dinner! Everyone to the dining room!" She snatched Inuyasha's shirt sleeve and pulled him along behind her.

They were a good match, Rin decided. On first glance, Kagome might seem innocent and kind but underneath she had a fiery personality that would most definitely keep Inuyasha in line. Rin would never dare tug at Sesshomaru like that.

"Rin?"

The subject of her thoughts gazed down at her, blinking as if he only now realized she had been standing there. Unsure of what else to do, she nodded stupidly, like she needed to confirm that she was in fact standing next to him.

"Ready to eat?" She asked quietly. In a moment of sheer bravery, Rin grasped his arm with both hands just below his elbow. Sesshomaru quickly fell into step next to her and they walked side by side to the dining room.

She really, really wanted to ask him about the 'more or less' comment and what it meant for them, but Sesshomaru was very obviously ticked off. Anger was rolling off of him in waves, and while Rin knew that none of it was directed towards her, she still hesitated to bring up any controversial topics.

Kagome was an excellent cook and so dinner was silent aside from the quiet scraping of forks and knives against plates. Sesshomaru ate with quiet, graceful movements, Inuyasha shovelled food into his mouth as if it were his last meal and the girls picked at their dishes, still finding the atmosphere a little uncomfortable.

Afterwards, Kagome dragged Inuyasha into the kitchen to help with dishes, leaving Rin and Sesshomaru alone on the living room sofa. Arguing could be heard from the two on kitchen duty and Rin saw a brief, satisfied smirk pass over Sesshomaru's face when he heard Kagome's shrill voice.

Sighing, Rin sunk back into the cushions. She chanced a glance at the ever-silent man beside her and found that he was watching her with a similar look.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out and then the stream of words just wouldn't seem to stop, "If I had known he was your bro-_half_ brother, I wouldn't have made you come. I knew you had a difficult childhood when you showed me the painting and all, so I appreciate you coming, but I just...I'm thinking..."

A warm finger came up to press against her lips, effectively cutting off her rambling. The expression in Sesshomaru's eyes was doing funny things to Rin's stomach and she fought the urge to throw herself at him.

How was it that she could go from hating the guy to falling head over heels so suddenly? And he was still his usual frosty and expressionless self. Rin felt as if she had done more of the changing than Sesshomaru and a small, irrational part of her worried that his earlier declaration of feelings wasn't enough; that she wouldn't be able to keep up her end of their agreement.

Was there even still an agreement or had 'more or less' changed that too?

Rin twisted her head so Sesshomaru's finger slid from her lips to the curve of her jaw. He easily repositioned his hand so his palm now cupped her face. Rin opened her mouth to speak again, trying to figure out how to breach the subject, when Inuyasha and Kagome came back into the room, still bickering over something.

Sesshomaru withdrew his hand so quickly that Rin barely saw his arm move from her face to the couch where he let it dangle over the armrest.

"Rin? Help me with dessert?" Kagome asked her friend. The look in her eyes said it was more of a case of wanting to talk privately than actually needing help.

Rin nodded, jumping up from the couch to follow Kagome back into the kitchen.

"_Brothers_?" Kagome groaned once they were out of the guys' range of hearing, "I knew Inuyasha had an older brother, but I never made the connection between him and Sesshomaru. I'm so sorry Rin."

"Half-brothers," Rin found herself automatically correcting her friend, "and it's ok. I should be apologizing to you too. I didn't know anything about Sesshomaru's family and I should have."

Kagome frowned as she opened the fridge to pull out a pitcher of lemonade, "Nothing at all? I suppose the least I can do is tell you what Inuyasha's told me, so you're not completely in the dark."

Rin smiled at her friend and proceeded to snatch a few glasses from the cupboard above her. "Thanks, Kagome." She said with gratitude, "I have a little bit of an idea, but I'd hate to be wrong and say something that would put me in Sesshomaru's bad books...not that I'm completely sure I'm not already in them." She muttered, thinking over his 'more or less' comment in a whole new light.

Kagome rolled her eyes in response, "As if sweet little Rin-chan could be in anyone's bad books.

So, from what Inuyasha has told me, he and Sesshomaru share a father but he –InuTaisho - left Sesshomaru's mother to be with a woman named Izayoi. Shortly afterwards, Izayoi discovered she was pregnant and along came Inuyasha. Apparently Sesshomaru lost all respect for his father after that; he felt like he had been abandoned in favour of Inuyasha."

"That's understandable," Rin commented, processing Kagome's story, "he would have only been a little boy. Is that when he became so serious?"

Her friend shrugged, "Inuyasha says he takes after his mother in that department. She was a cold, calculating woman who never showed much love or affection for her son or her husband."

"Wow," Rin breathed, "Poor Sesshy-sama."

"Excuse me?" Kagome's eyebrows shot up and Rin immediately blushed, realizing she accidently used her little nickname for him aloud.

"Uh.. nothing. Where do you keep your napkins?"

Meanwhile...

"You don't deserve her," Inuyasha's voice filled the otherwise silent room.

In reply Sesshomaru simply turned his head, fixing his half-brother with a deadly glare.

"From what Kagome says, Rin's a friggen' angel. Makes me wonder why she's hangin' around you." Inuyasha said with a smirk, pleased with his insult.

"Rin is none of your concern."

"Oh, I think she is," Inuyasha shot back, "cause I'm the one who's gonna get an ear full from Kagome when you break Rin's heart."

Sesshomaru frowned but before he could reply, Rin and Kagome came back into the room carrying a tray of drinks and desserts. Kagome passed around the glasses while Rin set a platter of cookies and squares on the coffee table. She snatched up a chocolate chip cookie before returning to sit next to Sesshomaru on the sofa.

"Cookie, Sesshy-sama?" Rin whispered in his ear, dangling the treat in front of his face.

She could see his eyes narrow and his nose crinkle slightly, as if he were utterly offended by her offer.

He grasped her wrist with a large, warm hand and brought it down into her lap, away from his face.

"I do not eat cookies and I do not like that nickname. Can you get a ride home with your friend?" His piercing eyes never strayed from hers.

"Wha- yes. I think so, but..." Rin was caught completely off guard by his sudden question.

"Good," came his simple response. He stood and walked swiftly to the door, turning only when Rin made a short sound of protest. Golden eyes found three faces staring back with confusion and concern. Well, two were confused and concerned. One was a smug grin that seemed to say 'you just proved my point'.

"Kagome, dinner was...acceptable. Inuyasha, go to hell. Rinnn..." he let her name drag out as if he were unsure of what to say. Finally, his mouth snapped shut and the door followed suit a moment later.


	5. Fight & A Sleepless Night

**Chapter 5: Fight & A Sleepless Night**

_**You painted me in pastels,  
colors that don't tell of any boldness.  
'Cause that's the way you'd love to see me:  
so delicate, so weak, so little purpose.  
**_-=-

The room was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

No, it was even quieter, Rin decided. You could have heard the world's lightest feather fall into a pile of specially designed shock-absorbing cotton balls.

"Are you going to go after him?" Kagome asked after a few more moments of the tense silence.

"Keh. Don't waste your time on that heartless basta-"

"Inuyasha!" The look in Kagome's eyes was downright scary as she turned to smack her boyfriend's arm.

A slight frown formed on Rin's lips as she thought over her friend's question. Did she want to go after Sesshomaru? Not particularly. It had been easy to see that the artist was keeping a tight lid on his anger while he was in the apartment and Rin really didn't want to be around him when that anger was released.

On the other hand, he certainly would not be expecting her to follow and it was probably her best opportunity to work away at that flat, stony exterior of his. Especially since his anger had already formed some major cracks in the surface.

Yes, Rin decided, she would go after him...and pray to Kami she make it out alive.

"I'm following," she spoke suddenly, catching the attention of the quarrelling couple seated across from her.

Kagome beamed at her friend, obviously pleased with her decision, "Good for you, Rin! Do you want to borrow my car?"

Shaking her head, Rin replied "No thanks, I'll walk. It'll give me a chance to work up my anger." She grinned wickedly before bouncing out of her seat and towards the hallway where she slipped on her shoes and light jacket.

"Hey, Rin?"

Hand on the doorknob, Rin turned back upon hearing Inuyasha's voice.

"Give 'em hell."

Rin smiled innocently but her eyes twinkled with mischief, "Will do."

She had to hide in the bushes outside until a middle-aged couple came out through the doors, giving her an opportunity to slip inside undetected.

The grumpy toad man must have been given the night off. Alone, Rin easily rode the elevator to the top floor and stormed down the hall with a purpose until she reached her destination and banged on the heavy doors. Not bothering to wait for an invitation and assuming he still neglected to lock the doors, she pushed the thick wood aside.

The top of his silvery head was just visible over the back of the chair he sat in, facing the blank screen of a plasma T.V. mounted on the wall.

She didn't stop until she came around the chair and stared down at him, hands on her hips, waiting for an explanation. After the long walk, her legs ached and her feet were crying in the uncomfortable dress flats she had stupidly decided to wear that evening. The wind had ruined her nicely straightened hair and a taxi almost ran her down when she tried to cross the street. All in all, she was good and angry...and ready to take it out on Sesshomaru.

His face was blank, as usual; the only indication that he was upset being the small crystal glass of alcohol in his hand. He downed the remainder of the drink – scotch she could only assume from the warm smell that made her nose prickle – before turning serious amber eyes on her.

"Rin."

It was a command and a question, somehow all rolled into her short little name.

"Do you have any idea how _embarrassing _that was?" She used his opening to launch right into her rant, "You couldn't be civil with your half-brother for one night, for Kagome's sake? For _my_ sake, too?"

He gazed at her with unwavering eyes and a face of perfect indifference. "Inuyasha," he started slowly, "is nothing but a pain in my side. I want nothing to do with him."

"Yeah, I think you made that much clear." Rin replied with heavy sarcasm. "Listen, I know about your past," she made sure not to mention that the information came from Kagome who heard it from Inuyasha, "and I am sorry. You obviously had a tough childhood, but you know what? I had one too! I was alone and unwanted and there were times when I questioned whether it was all worth it. If I was nothing but a burden, then why continue on? "

Tears were threatening to spill over now as the darker moments of her childhood played through Rin's mind. Her chest felt heavy and her voice cracked with emotion when she began to speak louder, "Eight! I was eight years old when my family was killed! But you know what? I pushed forward because I knew my mother would have been disappointed in me if I quit. So I put up with it, being shuffled from foster home to foster home, always being tolerated but never really loved.

So don't you dare talk to me about tough childhoods. Your father left your mother. It happens to millions of kids and yes it's awful but you work through it and go on with life. It's time to let go of that grudge!"

Rin's voice was raw by the end of her speech. She sucked in a few deep lungfulls of air and then bravely met Sesshomaru's gaze with her own strong and steady glare.

His face hadn't moved an inch, but the angry fire burning in his eyes nearly made Rin whimper in fear. In one fluid motion, he stood and seized her shoulders roughly.

"I do not know where you obtained that information," Sesshomaru's voice was low and rough, as if he were struggling to control it, "but I do _not_ appreciate the assumptions you've made."

"Then explain it to me!" Rin shouted, flinching as his grip on her tightened to the point of painfulness.

His head shook, sending long silvery hair falling over his shoulder to brush softly against her cheek. Rin was suddenly very aware of his closeness; their noses nearly touched as he stared at her with pure fury and she looked back with stubborn anger.

"It is none of your business," he snapped, annoyance seeping into his voice now, "you nosy, infuriating girl."

"If you don't like my nosiness, you shouldn't have accepted my offer!"

"Your offer was absurd."

"Then why did you agree?"

"I was foolish. I made a mistake." Burning amber eyes closed with regret for a few moments before returning to her face.

"So this is a mistake?" Rin tried to gesture between them but her arms were being held at her sides by Sesshomaru's hands that had slid down off of her shoulders. She settled for tilting her head towards him to get her point across.

"Of course. This – _we_," Sesshomaru stopped, taking a moment to breathe and control his anger before he continued in a much tamer voice, "we are not... natural."

The look he gave her was almost one of exasperation. "You are nothing but an endless source of migraines. Obviously two people who irritate each other to the point of insanity are simply not meant to be together."

"If that's really what you think, then why haven't you pulled away?" Rin questioned softly.

"I tried," his mouth formed a tight, grim line, "and then you came into my home uninvited and persuaded me into attending that godforsaken dinner."

"That's not what I meant." Rin gave a tiny smile and turned her head to look down at his hands still gripping her upper arms.

He stepped back so quickly, Sesshomaru nearly tripped over the chair behind him. A string of curses flew from his mouth and Rin had to press a hand to her lips to keep from laughing.

"You find that funny?" His voice was cold and sharp as a knife.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do." Rin replied, paying no attention to the danger radiating from him. She was beginning to think that Sesshomaru was all bark and no bite. Crossing her arms, she tilted her head to the side and challenged him: "So what are you gonna do about it?"

A low, angry growl rose in his chest and in two long strides, he had come to stand directly in front of her. He stared down in silence, searching her face as if it held all the secrets of the universe. Maybe it did, as far as he was concerned.

Then, before Rin could even register what had happened, his mouth was on hers. It was a hot, searing kiss that conveyed all of his anger and frustration. Rin could do nothing but cling to him, dizzy with pleasure.

Within a few moments, she regained control of her body and met his kisses eagerly. Sesshomaru's mouth was hot and relentless against hers and Rin poured all of her own anger through her lips, winding an arm around his neck while the palm of her other hand lay flat against his chest, feeling the rapid thumping of his heart.

His arms locked around her waist, securing her tightly against him and forcing all the air from her lungs. Rin's fingers threaded through the fine hairs at the base of his neck and she gave a little tug as if to punish him. _Let me breathe! _In reply, Sesshomaru growled and caught her bottom lip between his teeth, biting down just enough to make her gasp.

Inevitably they separated for air. Although, at that moment, Rin was quite content with dying from lack of oxygen if it meant that she could stay pressed against him.

Her eyes were huge and her lips were swollen while Sesshomaru was still as composed as ever, though his hair had been mussed by her hands and his eyes were a dark liquid gold that showed pure, unashamed desire.

"Sessh-" Rin began to speak his name but she was silenced by Sesshomaru's next move.

He bent his head to press his face into her hair while his hands moved in soothing circular motions along her back. It was such an easy, intimate gesture (two words she never thought she would be using to describe Sesshomaru) that it brought a surge of love through her whole body.

"Don't," his voice was muffled through her thick, dark tresses, "don't ruin it with your talking."

"Hey!" Rin tried to shove him away, insulted.

She only succeeded in loosening his grip a small amount. It was all the space she needed though, as she pulled back and aimed a punch directly at his face.

He blocked her fist easily, of course, but then the full extent of her actions hit her. Rin's eyes widened and her mouth formed a small 'o' of surprise.

"Rinnn..." His voice warned darkly.

"I-I'm sorry," she said weakly, "you deserved it, but I'm still sorry."

"Stop," his serious face was only inches from hers, eyes sparking with an emotion she could not identify, "talking".

Rin didn't need any more encouragement. She closed the distance between them and kissed him sweetly, offering an unspoken apology. Sesshomaru accepted, allowing her to take the lead if for only a moment.

When she pulled back fairly quickly, Sesshomaru growled in protest and bent towards her, determined to keep hold of her lips.

"I should let you shut me up more often." Rin grinned, speaking in a breathy tone.

"Stop it," His eyes danced with golden fire, "or I will be forced to use firmer methods to shut you up."

A shiver of excitement ran down Rin's spine. Her legs felt like jelly and her heart was threatening to jump right out of her chest. Her body felt like it was ready to explode into a shower of excitement and nerves, and she was more than ready for it.

Wetting her suddenly dry lips, she gathered all her courage and looked him straight in the eye, "Firmer methods, hmm? Good, because I feel like talking."

Oh that was lame. Would he think it was lame? Rin was hardly a master of dirty talk; she was an elementary school teacher, for crying out loud! She had been trained to say 'darn' over 'damn' and 'silly' over 'stupid'. Plus, Sesshomaru had that naturally deep baritone voice that could make a toaster manual sound sexy. So not fair.

Apparently she said the right thing to set the mood because Sesshomaru captured her mouth roughly and picked her up with ease, allowing Rin to instinctively wrap her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck.

In a few long strides they reached his bedroom. Sesshomaru kicked the door shut with his foot and then their night truly began.


	6. Regret & Winning the Bet

Short chapter, I know. I tried to beef it up a bit, but I didn't want to say so much that it takes away from the emotion. You'll all probably hate me by the end...sorry! Just remember that this is purely a romance fic and not heavy on angst or drama, so there will be a happy ending.

**Chapter 6: Regret & Winning the Bet**

_**But your eyes are drawn of charcoal  
they're black, they're so cold, they're so imperfect.  
Because they see a sleeping world,  
where waking isn't worth it.**_

Sesshomaru woke the next morning to find a petite, dark-haired girl sleeping contently in his arms. He allowed himself to enjoy the sensation of her bare skin settled perfectly against his for exactly 10 seconds before his golden eyes narrowed in anger. It was anger at himself, for being so stupid as to give into his desires the previous night.

At that moment, while gazing down at Rin, Inuyasha's voice came back to haunt him _"I'm the one who's gonna get an ear full from Kagome when you break Rin's heart..." _he had said.

Sesshomaru cursed his idiot half-brother because deep down, though it pained him to admit it, he knew that statement was true. Sesshomaru was a use-'em-and-lose-'em man, never having a relationship last longer than a month. Women were plentiful, and as soon as one got too clingy or annoying, he could simply toss her aside in favour of one of the many others who would eagerly jump at the chance to be in a relationship with Sesshomaru Takeda. After all, he was good for nothing more than pleasing women with his money and his body. As far as he was concerned, "real" relationships based on things like respect and friendship were nothing more than fiction; fairy tales created by romance authors and television writers. That kind of love was reserved for people more deserving than him...

...like Rin.

As he watched her curled around his body, face beautifully relaxed and lips parted just slightly, his heart constricted painfully. She was far too special to be used then discarded like a piece of trash, but that would be her fate if they were to continue down this path.

_I am not capable of caring_, he thought, _I cannot be what she needs me to be_. He was broken, damaged and heartless. He needed to cut his ties now. It would hurt her, of course. She would cry and yell and it would make his chest ache and his throat tight, but she would suffer less now than when he inevitably messed things up later.

He slipped out of bed and quietly dressed before shaking her awake. He dreaded this, but it would be better if she hated him. Then she wouldn't beg and plead and he would not be tempted to keep her in his bed, in his heart, forever.

"Rin."

"Mmph.." she groaned and buried her face further into the pillows.

"Rin, get up now." He spoke in his coldest, most demanding tone.

"Sessh, wha..?" She mumbled, pushing herself up onto her elbow to gaze at him with still-sleepy eyes.

"Get dressed and go. This isn't a hotel and I don't provide breakfast for morning afters."

Her mouth dropped open and she swung her legs over the side of the bed to sit facing him, blankets clutched firmly against her bare chest.

"Morning afters? What's that supposed to mean?" Her tone was a mixture of teasing and dread. She hoped that he was joking, but deep down knew that he was dead serious.

"It means," Sesshomaru replied calmly, gathering her clothes from the floor and tossing them into her lap, "that if I fed every woman who occupied my bed, I would be eaten out of house and home."

That did the trick. Immediately, he saw the light in her eyes die and her cheeks went red with shame. She looked utterly dejected and sickened by his words. It took every ounce of self-control for Sesshomaru to stay rooted in place when he wanted nothing more than to cross the room and take her in his arms, making her sadness go away.

"I see," her voice was rock hard but he could hear it wavering with unshed tears. She refused to cry in front of him, "I'll just be on my way then." She dressed hurriedly, not caring that he was standing right there as she wiggled into her jeans and shoved her bra into her purse, too flustered to struggle with putting it on.

She stomped to the door while Sesshomaru followed quietly behind her, his mouth set in a firm line to prevent him from saying anything he shouldn't, like 'don't go' or 'I'm sorry'.

Rin yanked the door open angrily, then turned back to face him, "Well, congratulations Sesshomaru," she said harshly, "looks like you won. Pretty stupid of me to think that I could change you, huh? I should have known, you can't fix douche."

Her words hurt Sesshomaru more than she could know. Did she really think this was still about their wager? He had forgotten all about that stupid bet long before this moment.

Sesshomaru forced these thoughts aside and merely raised an eyebrow in response, "'You can't fix douche?' That's your best insult?"

Rin shook with anger, "I hate you," she muttered darkly.

"That's better," he replied in an equally low voice, though his held sadness instead of fury.

Rin slipped out the door without so much as a glance backwards. Only when the elevator doors closed did she let the tears fall freely.

-I-

He didn't know what to do without her, so he painted.

He painted with angry strokes and harsh colors, but it looked so ugly. Not at all like his Rin.

He punched through the canvas, leaving globs of red and black paint on his hands.

Then, when he couldn't possible hate himself any more, he painted with regret. Soft browns that made him think of her eyes as she would smile at him. Creamy white as he recalled how her smooth, iridescent skin appeared in the moonlight. Soft pink when her lips would do torturous things to his body, leaving his head full of foreign thoughts that both excited and scared him. _Did he love her? It felt like love..._

It was then that he realized she had been wrong. He didn't win their bet, she did. She had changed him more than he could ever admit. Kami, he had even sat through (almost) an entire dinner with Inuyasha that did not end in broken noses and a 911 call!

The realization had him unconsciously grabbing his keys and walking to the door, eager to share his breakthrough with her. But then he remembered her dead eyes and hurtful words and he stopped himself, just as his hand reached for the doorknob.

He had done the right thing and she hated him now. Slowly, he set the keys down and returned to his art room, picking up a discarded paintbrush. After all, she had won their bet fair and square, and Sesshomaru always kept his word. He would paint for her. It would be her prize for winning.

And his parting gift.


	7. Temptation & An Untimely Declaration

This is the second-last chapter, enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 7: Temptation & An Untimely Declaration**

_**How, how, can you live without your lies?  
Oh, oh, love, I've had enough of you tonight.**_

"You should come, Rin," Kagome pleaded to her friend over the phone, "we've hardly seen you lately."

"No thanks, I don't want to be the fifth wheel," Rin talked into the phone that rested on her shoulder, leaving her hands free to continue spooning cookies n' cream ice cream into her mouth.

Kagome sighed and Rin could hear some scuffling in the background before a voice asked, "I_s that her? Let me talk to her!"_

"Sango wants to talk to you. Please, listen to her Rin." Kagome's gentle voice was soon replaced with a stronger, blunter one.

"Rin? It's Sango. I know you're on your couch right now in old sweatpants, eating something you shouldn't be," Sango accused, "Put the food away and get dressed. You're coming out with us."

Rin reluctantly set down the ice cream carton and gazed at her faded grey pants, wondering how Sango knew her so well, "I really don't feel like it," she answered, "besides, who will I hang out with? You have Miroku and Kagome will be with Inuyasha. I don't want to be the loner who tags along because you all feel sorry for me."

"It's been a month, Rin-chan," Sango's voice softened, "you have to start moving on some time."

Rin shifted uncomfortably on the couch, "I'm fine, really." She frowned, hoping her voice sounded more convincing across the phoneline.

"Come on, I'll ask my brother to come too. Then you won't be alone." Sango suggested.

Rin rolled her eyes. Sango was forever trying to set her up with Kohaku and while Rin appreciated the thought, she just wasn't interested. Kohaku was a nice guy and had a cute, boyish charm she normally would have found appealing, but lately Rin had noticed her tastes changing.

She thought back to the previous weekend, when Kagome dragged her to the mall for some "much needed retail therapy" – her words, not Rin's – and Rin had caught a glimpse of long, white hair out of the corner of her eye while feigning interest in a pair of shoes. Her heart had jumped into her throat, beating wildly. She chased after the figure, only to realize it was an American tourist – a tall teenage girl with hair bleached so blonde it gave off a silver quality, and Rin had felt so pathetic, she had immediately begged Kagome to take her home.

"Fiiiiine..." Rin reluctantly agreed, "I guess it couldn't hurt."

"Great! Now go make yourself beautiful, we'll pick you up in an hour. I promise it'll be worth it, we'll have so much fun Rin!" Sango rambled.

"Okay, sounds...great." Rin faked enthusiasm and ended the call after promising Sango she would ditch the sweatpants.

A hot shower improved her mood more than she thought it would and Rin soon found herself humming lightly as she picked through her closet. She finally decided on a pair of black leggings with a simple green tunic that always earned her compliments.

True to her word, Sango was at her door exactly on the hour and she dragged Rin outside where a packed car carrying Kagome, Inuyasha and Kohaku waited at the curb. The drive was short as Kagome and Inuyasha bickered in the front seats and Kohaku made nervous conversation with Rin in the back, while his sister interrupted every so often in a painfully obvious attempt to get the pair flirting.

"We're here, now get outta my car," Inuyasha announced.

Four sets of eyes rolled at his comment, but exited the vehicle anyway.

"Park and meet us inside," Kagome ordered her boyfriend and although Rin couldn't hear Inuyasha's full reply, she was pretty sure the words 'bossy wench' were thrown in there somewhere.

"He's a real bucket full of sunshine tonight," Rin commented sarcastically as they walked down a short set of stairs and into the club.

"He's just grumpy because I took away his Ramen earlier." Kagome replied, "He was being an idiot so I punished him the way I would with any of my school students, I took away what he wanted most."

"Gee, Kagome," Sango commented, "most girlfriends threaten to withhold sex. You're really a teacher through and through."

"I think the more accurate statement is that Inuyasha's an 8-year old, through and through." Rin joked.

"Ah, there's our witty little Rin-chan," Sango laughed, "now aren't you glad you came?"

"I am," Rin admitted with a genuine smile. "Um, Sango, I think that guy's trying to get your attention." She pointed across the room where a dark-haired man was waving madly.

Sango's cheeks went pink with embarrassment, "That would be Miroku," she groaned, "tell me why I agreed to go out with him again?"

"Moment of weakness?" Kagome guessed, "Come on, let's grab a booth."

Rin wound up squeezed between Kohaku and Miroku as they all took seats around a large table in the corner. She sipped on an iced tea (having learnt her lesson with alcohol the night she got herself into the whole Sesshomaru fiasco) and was beginning to loosen up and enjoy herself when she felt something suspiciously like a hand graze across her lower back.

"EEP!" She squeaked in surprise, jumping up from the table as much as she could, considering how she was wedged in the middle.

"My apologies, Rin," Miroku said smoothly, "your derriere looks so lovely in that outfit, I just couldn't help myself..."

"Perv," Rin muttered, but her comment couldn't be heard over the music playing. "You know, Miroku," she said more loudly this time, "Sango just _looooves _to dance. You should ask her!"

"Great idea!" Miroku slid out of the booth, grabbing an unsuspecting Sango's hand and pulling her out into the crowded dance floor.

Sango shot Rin a dark look while Rin beamed back at her and innocently sipped her drink.

Soon afterwards, Inuyasha arrived inside and Kagome had pulled him into the dancing as well.

'So, um...you look nice tonight." Kohaku said, nervously fidgeting with his shirt collar as they were the only two still seated.

"Gee, thanks," Rin replied, cringing slightly at what horrible conversationalists they were, "Uh, same to you."

After a few more minutes of forced discussion about the weather, a fed-up Rin finally declared, "Ok, be honest. You don't really like me, do you?"

Immediately, Kohaku's face brightened and it was like a weight was lifted from his shoulders, "No," he said, relieved, "I mean, you're a great person and I didn't want to disappoint Sango when she asked me to be your date, but..."

"So what's her name?" Rin smiled knowingly.

Kohaku blushed and proceeded to tell Rin all about a girl he had met. The conversation became much more fluid and enjoyable, and before Rin knew it, it was well past midnight when she was still giving Kohaku some advice about his new love interest.

"Be genuine," Rin explained, "no cheesy lines or pretending to be a playboy when you're not. There's nothing wrong with just being a good guy...the world needs more of them."

"Thanks Rin," Kohaku grinned widely, "I'm going to do it. I'm going to ask Hitomi to go out with me tomorrow."

"Good! Make sure you call me when she says yes," Rin replied with a smile.

With a final thank you to Rin, Kohaku left for the night. Alone in the booth, Rin twisted around to sit sideways and stretch her legs out on the long bench seating. She was enjoying just sitting there and watching Inuyasha and the others' hilarious dance moves, when a shadow suddenly blocked her view.

Looking up, Rin's breath caught in her throat as she saw who had approached her.

- I -

"Dance with me," Sesshomaru's date – Kagumi? Kagura? He couldn't remember her name and honestly didn't care - whined in his ear.

"For the last time, no. This Sesshomaru does not dance." He replied as his eyes scanned the room and inevitably landed on her face once again. He had done his best to avoid Rin all night and though she thankfully had not noticed him, he couldn't help himself from staring at her.

"Do you know her? You've been watching her all night," Kagura pouted, annoyed with the lack of attention Sesshomaru had been giving her.

Sesshomaru opened his mouth to reply, but found that he didn't know what to say. How did one explain this kind of situation? _'Yes, We made a silly bet, fell for each other, then I broke her heart and crushed her spirit, but I still find myself utterly obsessed with her'. _He doubted that Kag-what's-her-name would be pleased with that answer.

"We are...acquaintances." He finally settled on saying.

"Ooohh," Kagura exclaimed in a horribly fake sweet voice, "we should go say hi then."

Before Sesshomaru could protest, he somehow found himself being pulled across the floor by Kagura's death-grip on his arm until he stood directly above Rin, who was stretched out in a booth looking quite relaxed.

He swallowed roughly, suddenly and inexplicably nervous and...aroused? It had been so long since he'd seen her...Kami, she looked delicious sitting there...

Her mouth opened slightly and a small gasp escaped her lips as she looked up to meet his eyes.

"S-sesshomaru," she choked out, "nice to see you."

"And you, Rin. You look...well."

She blushed, quickly dropping her eyes to her shirt before fixing them on his face once again, "Thanks."

"Well, aren't you going to introduce ME?" Kagura interrupted the staring contest between the girl in the booth and the man before her.

"Ah, yes." Sesshomaru cleared his throat and finally tore his gaze away from Rin, "This is Kag...ura." Was that right? Apparently so, because said woman took his introduction as an opportunity to press herself up against Sesshomaru.

"What a cute little girl. So nice to meet you Rin," Kagura spoke in a sugary voice that made Sesshomaru want to roll his eyes.

Rin frowned momentarily. She knew when she was being insulted, but what right did she have to talk back? It wasn't like _she _was Sesshomaru's date tonight.

"Nice to meet you too." She said quietly, forcing back the angry retort that was on the top of her tongue. The last thing she wanted to do was make Sesshomaru think she was jealous. Even if she had to fake it (which she admitted she was doing now), Rin would let him think that she had moved on; that there were no confusing, conflicting feelings that left her with sweaty hands and a pounding heart now that he stood before her.

Kagura's sickeningly sweet voice interrupted Rin's thoughts.

"Well, we would just LOVE to stay and chat, but we must be on our way. Right, Sesshy?" Kagura smiled widely and, if possible, clung to Sesshomaru even tighter. "How about continuing this evening in your bedroom, hmm?" She spoke in his ear but made a point of being loud enough for Rin to clearly hear the offer.

Rin saw Sesshomaru's eyes flick to her before returning to Kagura, "Yes, lets." He spoke in his usual monotonous tone.

"Bye-bye Rin. Such a pleasure to meet you." With a smile that said 'haha, sucker', Kagura pulled a rigid Sesshomaru to the door where they disappeared outside.

Rin didn't know what to think. She wasn't oblivious, she had seen the deep look of desire Sesshomaru had directed at her, and yet he still left with that bimbo Kagura? Well, fine. What did she care anyway? She ignored the pang of hurt in her stomach, telling herself that she was young and single and would enjoy it.

Rin gave a deep sigh and pushed herself up off her seat, going to join the others on the dance floor.

Time to forget about a certain silver-haired artist.

-I-

It was disgusting.

Her hands on his body, her tongue forcing its way in his mouth, it made Sesshomaru want to vomit but he didn't push her away. He _couldn't_ push her away because he knew that if he did, he would find himself back at that club, looking for his Rin.

So he shut his eyes and ignored Kagura while she continued to kiss him. In his home. On his bed. Her fingers started unbuttoning his shirt and Sesshomaru's hands twitched, fighting the desire to shove her off of him.

As she started to kiss the crook of his neck, he found himself thinking of Rin in her long green shirt and tight black pants. He imagined that it was her mouth traveling over his skin, her dark chocolate brown hair splayed across his bed in stark contrast to the snow-white blankets and pillows.

He knew Rin was not his to have, but he couldn't stop the images, the fantasies, going on in his head. Kagura pulled back and smirked; a haughty, arrogant look that made Sesshomaru want to smack it right off her face. Rather, he closed his eyes and concentrated on his Rin, seeing her mischievous grin instead.

His imagination had a hot coil of pleasure building deep inside him. It built and built, and when Kagura reached for his belt buckle, fingers not-so-accidently grazing the front of his pants, he couldn't stop the name from escaping his lips.

"Rin..."


	8. Mending & The Happy Ending

Well, this is the end. I had some writer's block with the beginning but I find that I write well while I'm watching mindless tv, so you can thank the shopping channel for this chapter. On a slightly unrelated note, it's quite funny to see a 50 year old man trying to sell t-shirts by saying "sequins are so hot right now!"

* * *

**Chapter 8: Mending & The Happy Ending**

_**You perceive all of these things I'd never have known.  
Love, will you turn out the lights 'cause we're already home.**_

Rin shuffled out of her bedroom, clad in pyjamas and bunny slippers, and headed to the kitchen, intent on making a big pot of Sunday morning coffee to enjoy while grading her student's spelling tests.

She hummed a song that had been stuck in her head after last night's outing as she added a few spoonfuls of coffee grinds to the filter, smiling to herself as she recalled Miroku's ridiculous attempts to start a congo line solely for the purpose of feeling up Sango's butt. As much as Sango claimed to hate him, Rin had a feeling that she would be seeing far more of Miroku in the future. Something about the pair just clicked...unlike Rin and a certain heartless, brainless, incredibly attractive artist who went by the name of Sesshomaru Takeda.

Rin huffed and turned the coffee pot on with an angry poke of her finger. She had tried to convince herself that she was past the point of caring, that he was such a rude, insensitive jerk that he didn't deserve space in her mind or her heart, but deep down she knew that was a lie. Something kept her connected to the artist, unable to just brush him off.

She hated to admit that last night when he approached her table, Rin's heart sped up with anticipation and she had a sudden impossibly crazy thought that maybe he was there to apologize and fix everything that had gone wrong.

But then Rin had seen the sleazy woman attached to his side and her fantasy had come crashing down.

It made her blood boil to think of how Sesshomaru had the audacity to stare directly at her while agreeing to take that fake Kagura chick home for the night.

Unbelievable.

"Useless jerk...can't believe I liked him...waste of space..." She muttered to herself, grabbing the stack of spelling tests and plopping into a kitchen chair.

She uncapped her red marking pen and dove into the tests with vigour, channelling her anger towards Sesshomaru into the task of correcting the spelling of her 8-year old students.

When she came across one sheet where a clever attempt at the word "temperature" included the letter "w", she flicked her wrist harshly, pen scratching a hole right through the page.

The realization that she was taking her frustrations out on her students suddenly hit Rin and she dropped her pen, leaning back in her chair and closing her eyes for a moment. Her eyes started to prick and she took a few deep breaths, forcing the tears back. Why did he have such a huge affect on her?

Rin had never given much thought to the idea of soul mates or that 'meant-to-be' kind of love you see in movies. Growing up an orphan, she figured at a young age that she was fated to be alone and so that idea just seemed natural, never really affecting her the way it would for anyone else. It was a sad way to look at life, now that she thought about it, but being used by Sesshomaru did nothing but reinforce the idea that she was destined for heartache.

Rin rested her arms on the table and dropped her head down, sniffling against her pyjama sleeve.

For the first time in her life, she was lonely.

Yes, she had Kagome and Sango and a few friends from work, but they didn't fill her deeper feelings of isolation like Sesshomaru had.

Rin straightened in her chair a little, finally understanding why she felt a connection to the artist. He may not have been orphaned, but he understood how it felt to grow up without a solid family to be unconditionally loved by. They had unconsciously filled their respective gaps with each other.

The realization made Rin almost laugh. It was so obvious now. She wondered if Sesshomaru had realized this and the idea of needing and depending on Rin had scared him away. Something told her that was exactly what Mr. Independent 'I-don't-need-anybody' had discovered.

It didn't solve any of her problems, but knowing that she had affected Sesshomaru just as much as he had affected her made Rin's whole body feel lighter and clearer than it had in weeks.

She lifted her pen to continue marking papers in her new happier mood but a muffled scratching noise outside her apartment door suddenly caught her attention.

Rin sighed and made her way to the door, "Mr. Sugar Whiskers, is that you again?" She called out. Her elderly neighbour's cat was constantly escaping and favoured Rin's apartment for some odd reason.

She opened her door, intending to find a large calico cat on the doorstep but instead seeing a pair of shiny black shoes.

Her stomach fluttered, already knowing exactly who she would see once she raised her eyes from the floor.

Sesshomaru.

He was bent over at a funny angle, mouth slightly open as if she had caught him doing something he shouldn't have and an explanation was on the tip of his tongue.

He straightened up and cleared his throat, gesturing to a large package wrapped in brown paper that sat just outside her doorframe.

"Sorry to disturb you," he spoke in an awkwardly polite tone, "I was just leaving this."

"Oh, um...ok." Apparently Rin's brain couldn't process anything more than two-letter words and she felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment.

"It's your painting," Sesshomaru explained, "seeing as how you won our wager."

"I won?" Rin frowned, regaining her voice, "You insulted me in the worst way possible and threw me out of your house after what I thought was an amazing night. Then you make a point of flaunting your cheap-ass date around at the club last night, and now you're telling me I gave the great Sesshomaru Takeda a conscience?" She crossed her arms and gave him her most sceptical look.

"So where _is_ your girlfriend? Kagura, right?" Rin couldn't resist asking. She tried to keep her voice indifferent, hoping that it didn't sound as pathetic to Sesshomaru as it did to her.

Sesshomaru looked uncomfortable – well, as uncomfortable as a person could look without changing their expression at all, "We had a slight misunderstanding. She now refuses to speak to me."

"Really?" Rin's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "What happened? I mean...if you don't mind me asking." She added, cursing herself for sounding so eager.

"Hn. I suppose you may as well know, seeing as how you are responsible for the situation." Sesshomaru easily replied.

"Me?" Rin squeaked out, "What did I do?"

"You haunt my dreams and fuel my fantasies," Sesshomaru admitted, "I now know that during an intimate encounter, a woman does not appreciate the man saying another woman's name."

Rin's mouth dropped open and she was pretty sure her brain ceased to function for at least a full minute while she tried to process Sesshomaru's confession.

"You-you said myname when you were _with_ her?" She whispered.

Sesshomaru gave her an annoyed look, "We did not have sex if that's what you're implying."

Blushing beet red, Rin stammered, "W-well, when you say 'intimate encounter' like that..."

"We were both fully clothed at the time of the incident." Sesshomaru explained, "I hadn't so much as removed my socks when you took hold of my mind."

"So, what does that mean?" Rin asked, using a quiet tone because she knew her voice would crack with emotion if she were to speak any louder.

"It means," Sesshomaru replied slowly, weighing his words carefully, "that I have been a fool to ignore my feelings for you."

He locked eyes with her suddenly and the honestly radiating from those golden orbs made Rin want to capture him in a hug and start sobbing simultaneously. The flood of emotion was hard to suppress, but she managed to force it down and settled for stepping forward and lightly touching his arm, a timid smile spreading over her lips. She kind of doubted that turning into a crazy, hysteric mess was the response Sesshomaru was hoping for.

Sesshomaru cleared his throat and shifted his arm so that Rin's hand slid down into his. He squeezed her fingers tightly and pulled her closer until her nose was almost touching the fabric of his shirt.

She craned her neck, wanting to look him in the eyes and Sesshomaru bent forward so he could also meet her gaze. His loose long hair fell forward, spreading around them like a protective cocoon.

"Haven't we been here before?" Sesshomaru murmured into her ear.

Rin smiled softly, remembering that afternoon, "The zoo. After we called each other out on why we are the way we are."

Sesshomaru nodded, moving so his arms were now wrapped firmly around her waist, keeping her close against him, "You called me a jerk and spilled coffee on my favourite sweater."

Rin blushed, partly out of embarrassment and also out of his closeness. She turned her head away, "Yeah...sorry about that."

Sesshomaru placed a finger under her chin, raising her face to his, "Do not be sorry. That was the moment I knew I was falling in love with you. I tried to deny it and push you away, but even when I succeeded in making you hate me, I still could not bring myself to stay away from you, my Rin."

His lips came down forcefully onto hers, kissing her with more warmth and sincerity than Rin ever thought possible. The possessiveness in his kiss and his last words left Rin flushed with pleasure. She returned his kiss deeply, allowing her hands to fist in his hair as Sesshomaru gave a low moan of approval.

She pulled back reluctantly, suddenly remembering that their hot and heavy session was taking place in the hallway.

"So you're falling in love with me?" She asked shyly.

Sesshomaru shook his head 'no' and offered her a small half-smile, "I was falling in love all those months ago. Now I am in love." He took a deep breath and met her eyes with his own steady gaze, "I love you, Rin."

"Oh..." She squeaked out, feeling her face flush red. No one had ever admitted their feelings to her so openly before and it was leaving Rin a little flustered.

She wanted to jump around and scream "yes, yes, yes!", but the logical part of her cautioned that he left her once and it was possible for him to do it again. Could she take the chance and ignore her so-called destiny of loneliness?

Meeting his eyes, she decided to be honest, blurting out the first thought that popped into her head, "I love you too. I think I always did but couldn't admit it to myself."

Sesshomaru's golden eyes shone with a mixture of relief and happiness as he pulled her back towards him, "Perhaps we are more alike than we first thought."

"Mmmhmm.." Rin agreed, burying her face in his soft shirt. It felt so right to be with him, any doubts she had faded away the moment he touched her. It was an instant reaction and from the way Sesshomaru held her possessively and kept kissing the top of her head, she could feel that he was thinking exactly the same thing.

"So do I get to see it now?" She asked, pulling back from him slightly and eyeing the package on the floor.

Sesshomaru gave one of his amused half-smiles and reluctantly dropped his arms from where they had been wrapped around her.

Rin eagerly unwrapped the thick brown paper and pulled out the already framed painting.

Her breath hitched and a ball of emotion formed in her throat as she stared at a watercolour version of herself.

It was a night time scene depicting Rin sitting in a window sill wearing a gauzy white nightgown. The window was open and a breeze made the long strands of her hair float around her face. The moonlight caused her skin to glow like some beautiful, unearthly being.

"T-this is me?" She asked, 'It's gorgeous."

"You are gorgeous." Sesshomaru answered simply, "I only paint what I see."

Gently setting the picture back on the floor, she threw her arms around Sesshomaru, pulling his face down and into a deep kiss.

"I love it. I love _you_." She whispered against his lips.

"And I you," Sesshomaru replied quietly, running his hands up and down her back.

Slightly out of breath, Rin turned and bent to retrieve her painting from the floor, "come inside," she said, "I could use some help hanging this. I've never been good with a hammer."

Sesshomaru's arm snaked around her waist as they walked into Rin's apartment, "I will, but I see no point in hanging it here when you will be living with me before long."

"Is that so?" Rin grinned and gave him her best Sesshomaru-esque raised eyebrow look.

"Hn. Considering how I plan to never let you leave my sight, let alone my arms or my bed, moving in with me is the logical answer." He whispered huskily in her ear.

A shiver of delight ran down Rin's spine and her knees suddenly felt like rubber. "I don't know..." she teased, "I might need some convincing."

She gave a high shriek of surprise when Sesshomaru swept her up into his arms, "You may regret saying that, Rinnnn..." his voice was low, dangerous and teasing.

Her heart hammered wildly at the meaning behind his words. "I don't regret anything," she replied truthfully.

Painting long forgotten on the floor, the artist and the teacher eagerly made their way to the bedroom where their happy ending was, in fact, just beginning.

-END-

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Nothing like a little cheesy fluff to end a story! Thank you all for the wonderful responses, I really appreciate your feedback.


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